


Tat-took My Breath Away

by haikkyutie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Ice Skating, M/M, Tattoos, general cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 20:38:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6023842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haikkyutie/pseuds/haikkyutie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata got a tattoo and Kenma's very curious.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tat-took My Breath Away

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the 2016 HQ!! Valentine Fic Exchange on tumblr! I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you enjoy it. :)
> 
> (sorry for the terrible pun in the title)

Kenma's phone is ringing. Now, it's not that this is anything new, as his phone rings rather frequently. It's either Kuroo or his mom or his boss at his part-time job. What's new is the name displayed on the screen. He texts with Hinata almost constantly, but a call is definitely new territory for the two of them. He fumbles with the phone trying to pick it up and nearly drops it trying to answer it. Immediately after he does, an excited voice yells, "KENMA, I'M COMING TO TOKYO!"  
It startles him enough that he really does drop the phone. He reaches under his bed looking for it as Hinata's voice echoes through his bedroom.  
As he brings the phone back up to his ear, Hinata's voice has calmed. "I got accepted into Keio University! We're going to go to the same school!" he says.  
Kenma snuggles back down into his covers. "That's great, Shouyou. I'm proud of you."  
He can't help the small smile appearing on his face as Hinata continues talking. "Now we can play volleyball together all the time! You'll toss for me, right?"  
Kenma replies, "Sure, Shouyou."

~

Hinata and he have different move-in dates and are staying in different dorms. They aren't taking any of the same classes, and Kenma spends enough time cozy in his dorm room that he doesn't run into him walking through campus either. They still text as if nothing has changed, yet Kenma feels confused...like something's being held back. Hinata had been so excited to see Kenma but he still hasn't suggested a time for them to meet up yet.

The snow on the ground is beginning to melt before Kenma decides enough is enough and he's going to visit Hinata's volleyball practice.  
Kenma feels like a teenager again as he slides onto the bleachers in the gym. He hasn't set foot in a court since he graduated high school. The squeaking sneakers and polished floors remind him of his time on the Nekoma team. He scans over the court lazily, waiting for something- or someone- to catch his eye. Then he sees him. Hinata's hair is shorter on the sides and his face seems elongated. All traces of baby fat are gone from his slender frame and he has tiny black gauges no more than a quarter inch in diameter. Kenma thinks this is a definite improvement, and he thinks Hinata might have even grown a few inches taller too. He still appears to have the same fire for volleyball. As he leaps up to spike a ball, his shirt rides up and Kenma notices a black blob on his right side above his hip. He'd never been particularly interested in tattoos before, but this one fascinates him. The black ink contrasts so well with Hinata's bright orange hair. He watches the whole practice intently but doesn't get another glimpse of the mystery tattoo. He sneaks out before the players are dismissed to avoid any questions.

It isn't until he's back in his dorm room when he realizes that he hadn't pulled out his phone at all during the practice.  
The desire to learn more about the tattoo hasn't lessened after leaving Hinata's presence, though. He turns to Kuroo.  
"Do you know anything about Hinata Shouyou?" he says.  
Kuroo's eyebrows raise. "Shrimpy?" he says. "I play pickup games with him sometimes, what do you want to know?"  
Kenma wraps himself into his blankets. "I don't know. I watched his volleyball practice today and he seems different." He doesn't necessarily want to talk about the tattoo yet. It feels like something private.  
"He's really changed since high school," says Kuroo. "In a good way, for sure." He grins. "Aren't you still texting him?"  
Kenma nods. "I hadn't seen him in person until today though. I wasn't expecting him to be any different, but it was good to see him again."  
"Was he glad to see you too?" says Kuroo.  
Kenma turns his face away. "He didn't know I was there." he says quietly.  
Kuroo brings a hand to his head. "You're telling me that he hasn't seen you since high school, and you just snuck out the back?" Kenma nods. "You should go watch his next practice. I'm sure he wants to see you too!"

~

to: Shouyou at 7:52 PM

hey shouyou i might come to your practice tomorrow

to: kenma （＾ν＾）at 7:54 PM

really????? omg im excited now!!! （≧∇≦）

~

Kenma stands in front of his bed. Clothes are strewn all over and he still can't decide what to wear. He'd usually just throw on a hoodie and call it good like he does every other day, but he wants today to be special. Hinata's changed so much and he looks so good that Kenma wants to make a good impression as well. He's running out of time, though, and he still hasn't found anything that seems right. As a last resort, he checks in the back corners of his closet and notices a bag he hadn't seen the first time he looked around. Inside is a grey v-neck sweater his mom had given him a few years ago that he'd never really worn. He rubs it against his cheek. It's soft. He slides it over his head and by some miracle, it fits just right. He pulls his hair up into a sloppy ponytail and pushed his glasses up his nose.  
Perhaps it was the constant video games, or maybe it was reading in the dark, but either way, Kenma had been prescribed glasses in his final year of high school. He'd picked out frames with black plastic on the top and silver metal on the bottom because Kuroo said they made him look smart. He looks himself up and down once more and nods. Decided, he grabs his messenger bag as he hurries out the door and over to the gym.

He's late, and Hinata's already in the middle of the court when he gets there. He smiles big and wide when he notices Kenma, and waves slightly before nearly getting hit in the head with a volleyball. Kenma stifles a giggle before slouching down to watch the practice. The coach is especially hard on Hinata. While all the university setters are good, they can't match Hinata the way Kageyama can. They do their best, and Karasuno's Greatest Decoy is doing his job being the star of the court. Soon enough, the practice is over. As soon as his coach releases him, Hinata bounds towards the bleachers.  
"Kenma!" he calls out. "I haven't seen you since our last practice match! How are you?"  
"I'm fine." Kenma replies. "Your spike's really improved."  
Hinata stretches one arm across his body. "Aah! Thank you! I do my best!" he says. "What made you decide to come to the practice? I like your glasses."  
Kenma shrugs and blushes slightly. There's a warm and cozy feeling blossoming in his chest. "I don't know. I just wanted to see you, I guess."  
Hinata grins and his face reminds Kenma of the sun. "Well, I'm glad you came. I'm sorry I haven't really tried to meet up with you before." He rubs the back of his neck. "To be honest, I was kind of afraid you wouldn't want to see me again because I look so different."  
Kenma shakes his head vigorously. "I like the way you look now. Even if I didn't, I wouldn't stop talking to you over something like that."  
Hinata replies, "Ah, that's a relie-"  
He's cut off as another member of the volleyball team taps Hinata on the shoulder. "Hey, Hinata. I wanna practice receiving a bit more. You wanna serve some balls for me?" He grabs Hinata's arm and starts dragging him back towards the court.  
"You ok, Kenma?" he says. Kenma nods. "Alright, I'll see you later then."  
Right before Hinata steps back onto the court, he turns back to face Kenma. He waves and smiles softly. Kenma smiles back as Hinata turns back to his teammate.  
Kenma slips out the side door while Hinata's occupied.

~

It's not that Kenma means to sit in on Hinata's practice every week. But he just so happens to have free time on Thursday afternoons, and the volleyball court is on his way back to his dorm after classes. Who would blame him if he happens to slip in and watch for a few minutes? He starts to notice all of Hinata's little quirks, like the way his nose wrinkles right before he leaps up to spike, or the way he bounces on his toes after he hits a serve. Still, Kenma feels like he hasn't quite figured Hinata out yet. He hasn't figured out the strange feeling in his chest, either, but he's ignoring that for now. Hinata knows he's there. He keeps looking in his direction and sending him a thumbs up whenever he does something well. Kenma's still not sure what his tattoo is, and the few glimpses of it he gets whenever Hinata's especially active are not nearly enough to satisfy his curiosity. It's not really staring, it's more...observing. For aesthetic purposes. The lines of Hinata's calves are so defined and his arms have gotten much stronger in the last few months.  
Kenma doesn't notice Hinata staring back at him, because he buries himself in a book for class whenever the volleyball players take a water break.  
One day he left his book bag in his dorm and now has nothing to distract himself with. He notices one of Hinata's teammates wiggle his eyebrows suggestively towards him and pat Hinata on the shoulder a few times. He whispers in Hinata's ear and sends him towards the bleachers. Hinata comes up to him, breathless, and his cheeks are tinted pink when he asks, "I've been thinking about this for a while...you've been hanging around my practices a lot, and I've kind of been getting a feeling about this, so...would you like to go out with me?"  
Kenma's heart jumps. He hasn't prepared for a situation like this at all! He looks around to see if Hinata was really speaking to him...and yep, no one else is nearby. Well, what has he got to lose?  
"Sure," he says, "I'll go out with you."  
Hinata's replying grin relaxes his pounding heart enough to know that he's made the right decision.

~

They decide to go ice skating. Kenma's never been before, so he's nervous as he ties his skates. The chill of the rink surprises him, and he shifts his coat more tightly around himself and makes his first step out onto the ice. The rink is practically empty, and he's relieved. His leg starts to slide away from him, so he flails over to the wall and holds it for dear life as Hinata glides out past him. He didn't ask if Hinata had skated before, but the way he effortlessly spins back around to face him makes Kenma certain that this isn't his first time on the rink. He reaches his hand out to Kenma, and Kenma attempts to release himself from the wall. He latches onto Hinata as his legs slide out from under him again.  
"Whoa," Hinata says. "I got you!"  
His face heats up and he tries to pull himself into a more upright position. As he does, he grabs Hinata's hoodie and accidentally drags it to the side as he lines his skates back up. Kenma catches another glimpse of Hinata's mystery tattoo and averts his eyes.  
Hinata takes his shoulders and pulls Kenma beside him. "It might be easier for you if I hold your hand. Is that okay?"  
Kenma nods and takes his hand. It's warm, and Kenma can feel his pulse even through his fingerless gloves. His hands are always cold, and it feels nice to have warm hands like Hinata's hold them. Hinata slowly begins to move forward, and Kenma wobbles but follows along. They make it around the rink once, twice, and on the third time around Kenma is beginning to get the hang of it. He pushes off of one foot and glides on the other, and smiles because maybe skating wasn't that hard after all. He turns his head towards Hinata, and Hinata's face is almost glowing with excitement. He smiles back at Hinata, the warm feeling growing larger in his chest. Confident in his newly-acquired skating skills, Kenma lets go of Hinata's hand and skates forward by himself a few steps until his toe catches on a rut in the ice and he pitches forward. Hinata lunges out to catch him and slips too, both of them landing in a haphazard pile of limbs.  
Kenma doesn't think he's hurt too badly, but as he tries to stand his knee buckles underneath him. Hinata, however, seems to have bounced back almost immediately and reaches his hand out again to help him up. Kenma takes it and Hinata pulls him up, wrapping Kenma's arm around his shoulder and maneuvering them towards the edge of the rink.  
"You okay?" he questions when Kenma's face distorts as he tries to move his leg. "Let's take a break."  
As Kenma steps off of the rink, he leans heavily on Hinata as he leads him over to a bench. Hinata kneels down in front of him and deftly unites his skates. Kenma opens his mouth to thank him, and Hinata smiles up at him and puts his skates off to the side.  
"How's your knee feeling?" Hinata asks. Kenma considers the question. It's stopped hurting now that he's sitting down, but whenever he straightens it it sends a twinge of pain up his leg.  
"It'll be fine, I think." Kenma replies. "I don't think I'll be able to go back on the rink, though."  
"That's alright," says Hinata. "We could go back to my place and just hang out instead if that's okay with you?"  
Kenma thinks that would be just fine.

~

Hinata's bedroom is very lived in, and he apologizes profusely as he clears clothes off of nearly every available surface and shoves them into his closet. Kenma is immediately drawn to Hinata's gaming system, and runs his fingers over the selection of games before pulling one out. "Can we play this?" he asks as he turns back to face Hinata.  
Hinata's in the middle of changing his shirt, the soggy one he was wearing left on the floor. The small tattoo Kenma had glimpsed before was only the tip of a flock of black birds tattooed up Hinata's back. Kenma quickly looks away as Hinata pulls on a plain black shirt and looks at the game Kenma has in his hand. "Mario Kart? Sure, if you're ready to lose!" He grins evilly and pops the game in. Kenma settles back onto his bed and feels more at home than he has in a while.

Kenma beats him completely. Hinata never reaches a spot higher than 10th place and is thoroughly exhausted after multiple rounds. He's the kind of player who moves his body with the controller and Kenma finds it slightly adorable. Hinata flops down next to him on his bed.  
"Did you have fun today?" Hinata asks.  
"Yeah," Kenma replies. "It was nice to spend time with you."  
Hinata's nose is inches from his face and Kenma looks away from his intense stare.  
"Can I ask you something?" says Hinata. Kenma nods, and looks at Hinata again.  
"Can I kiss you?" he whispers. It's a contrast to his normal volume, and a shock runs through Kenma's body and settles in his toes. Would he like to kiss Shouyou? He'd never really thought about it before, but the idea of it now sends a rush of warmth through his face and he can't think of saying anything else but "...Yes."  
Hinata's hand cups his cheek and it's so gentle that Kenma automatically leans into it. He leans in and presses his lips softly against Kenma's. His thumb brushes against Kenma's jawline and angles his lips a little more and Kenma's chest feels so full of the warm feeling it's going to burst. He smiles into the kiss and presses back, lips lingering as Hinata pulls away. Kenma opens his eyes and his lips are still slightly upturned. He definitely wouldn't mind doing it again, and he leans in and pecks Hinata's lips once more for good measure.  
"Can I ask you something?" Kenma mutters faintly.  
"Of course!" Hinata says.  
"Why did you get a tattoo on your back?"  
Hinata sits upright. "I wasn't expecting that question! How did you know I had a tattoo?"  
Kenma blushes. "I've been watching you a lot, especially in your practices. I...really like it."  
"You do?" Hinata blushes back and hides his face with his hand. "Do you want to look at it?" comes out muffled.  
"S-sure." Kenma stutters, and Hinata pulls his shirt off swiftly. He turns his back to Kenma, and Kenma can't help but trace the birds, leaving a line of goosebumps in his wake.  
"To answer your question, I got this after I graduated from Karasuno. I felt so connected to all of my teammates, and I didn't want to ever forget that feeling. I decided to get this tattoo so I could remember it forever."  
He turns back around to face Kenma and Kenma twists his fingers in his lap. "Thank you for showing me. I know it's something really personal for you."  
"You're special to me, so it makes me happy to show you parts of myself." Hinata kisses him again, and his breath remains caught in his throat as he pulls away. The warm feeling doesn't go away either, and Kenma thinks it'll be there to stay.

~

**Author's Note:**

> so hinata totally gets a tattoo of a cat silhouette for kenma after they've been dating for a while. they're so cute I'm gonna die


End file.
